Oarlock for sculling



July 13, 1943. G. McKELVEY OARLOCK FOR SCULLING Filed April 20, 1942 Patented July 13, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to oarlocks intended for use in sculling boats. An important object of the invention is to provide an oarlock of the above character adapted to support the car for universal movement at the stern of the boat and 7 so constructed and arranged that the boatsman by simply moving th handle end of the oar back-and-forth imparts a sculling action to the oar. In the preferred form of the invention this object is accomplished by providing a pin-andhole connection between the oar and the oarlock so that the action of stroking the oar causes the oar to oscillate about an axis parallel to itself and automatically change the angularity of the oar blade in the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an oarlock of the above character, means whereby the forward travel of the boat may be arrested or its direction of travel reversed.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a sculling oarlock showing a fragmental part of an ear engaged therewith;

Figure 2 is a view taken at right angles to Figure 1 taken on the line 22 thereof;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the oarlock;

Figure 4 is a side view of the oarlock with parts broken away to show the pin-and-hole connection of the car with the oar rest;

Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the oar taken on the line 55 of Fig ure 4 showing the manner in which the pin block is clamped to the oar;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the pin received within the hole in the oar rest; and

Figure 7 is a contracted view of the upper end of an oar showing the reverse-motion grip.

Referring to the drawing, the oarlock comprises an angle plate I fastened to the stern 2 of a boat by bolts 3 so that one horizontal flange of the plate overlies the top of the stern while the other vertical flange overlies the outer face thereof. Bolted to the horizonal flange of the angle plate I are a pair of uprights 4 having feet 4a extending at right angles therefrom and secured to the horizontal flange of the angle plate by means of nuts 5 threaded upon the ends of bolts 6 projecting through openings in this flange.

The upper ends of the uprights 4 have circular openings adapted to receive trunnions 1 projecting laterally from a rocker block 8. The

block is formed with a flattened upper surface and is recessed to rotatably receive a stem 9, the lower end of which projects below the lower face of the block and is threaded to receive a retaining nut 10. The upper end of the stem is provided with a head ll defining an oar rest, the bottom of which bears upon the flattened upper surface of the block 8 and the top of which is formed in the shape of a pair of cusps [2 (Figure 6) connected by a convexly rounded ridge 13.

The oar rest II is arranged to cooperate with an oar [4, shown in part only in the drawing. A clamp I5 is adapted to be contracted about the oar by means of nut and bolt assemblies I6 provided upon the terminal ends of the clamp. This clamp embraces a curved section I? of a pin block 18 and holds it fixedly in engagement with the car. Projecting outwardly from the pin block and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the oar is a pin l9. This pin is arranged to be received within a hole passing through the car rest and extending beneath and in line with the ridge IS. The pin [9 is free to oscillate within the hole, the arrangement being such that the car as it passes from intermediate position, indicated in full lines in Figure 2, to either righthand or left-hand position, as indicated in broken lines, either rolls on or slightly clears the upper surface of the oar rest defined by the connected pair of cusps. The cusps serve to limit the swinging of the oar in either direction. The pin l9 projects beyond the opening in the car rest and is screw threaded to receive a retaining nut 20 to prevent the accidental withdrawal of the pin from its hole. However, a cotter or other well-known type of retaining means may be substituted for the nut, or the retaining means, ii desired, may be omitted altogether.

A short distance below the handle 2| of the car (Figure 7) and upon its underside approximately in longitudinal alignment with the pin I9, is a hand grip 22. This grip is made of metal bent to form a hand engaging offset portion and its ends are secured to the oar by means of clamps 23 corresponding in all essential respects to the clamp 15 previously described.

When the above-described oarlock is to be used for sculling, the pin I9 carried by the car is slipped into the hole in the car rest and the retaining nut 20 is screwed onto the projecting end of the pin. As will be apparent from the foregoing description the oar rest is mounted for universal movement; that is, the stem 9 forming part of the oar rest may turn within the opening provided in the rocker block 8, while the rocker block having its trunnions I journaled within the openings in the uprights is free to turn upon an axis intersecting the axis of the stem 9. This universal mounting of the oar rest allows the oar to be varied in depth and direction in the water trailing the stern of the boat.

In sculling the boat, it is necessary that a backand-forth motion be imparted to the handle of the oar while simultaneously reversing the angle of the oar blade during each stroke. This ordinarily is a tiring operation. In accordance with my invention, the angle of the car blade is automatically reversed by the action of moving the handle back-and-forth. That is, as the handle is pushed or pulled in one direction or the other the pin [9 turns within the opening provided in the oar rest I l swinging the oar over into one or the other of the positions indicated in broken lines in Figure 2, while at the same time the oar rest turns within the rocker block 8 to allow for the sidewise sweep of the oar. In this manner, the angle of the oar blade is changed as the oar moves back-and-forth in a sculling motion. The cusps I2 of the car rest serve as stops to limit the turning of the oar about the axis of the pin I9 so as to maintain the proper inclination of the oar blade in the water during the sculling operation.

When the forward motion of the boat is to be slowed down or stopped, or when the boat is to be backed up, the boatsman grasps the hand grid 22. By stroking the oar back-and-forth from one to another of the positions indicated in broken lines in Figure 2 a reverse twist is imparted to the oar causing a backward drag or pull to be exerted on the boat.

The car l4 may be used in the usual manner for rowing the boat. In such case, the nut is removed from the pin l9 and the oar detached from the sculling oarlock and placed in one of the rowlocks mounted in the gunwale of the boat. The pin I9 is located sufficiently far along the oar so that it does not interfere with the resting of the oar in the rowlock. Instead of placing the pin on the oar, alternatively the pin may be fixed on the oar rest and enter a hole in block secured to the oar.

It will be apparent that the oarlock of my invention may take forms other than that described above, which is to be regarded as exemplary rather than restrictive of the invention, without rest mounted for universal movement, said oar rest having a hole therein, and a pin detachably mounted upon an oar and extending substantially parallel thereto, said pin being oscillatable within the hole in the oar rest.

2. An oarlock for sculling comprising an oar rest mounted for universal movement, said oar rest having a hole therein, a pin detachably mounted upon an oar and extending substantially parallel thereto, said pin being oscillatable within the hole in the oar rest and stops disposed upon opposite sides of the oar rest to limit the amplitude of oscillation of the oar.

3. An oarlock for sculling comprising a rocker block supported for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, an oar rest having a stem engaging an opening in the rocker block for movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of pivotal movement of the rocker block, the upper face of said oar rest defining a pair of cusps connected by a convexly curved ridge, and a pin detachably mounted upon an oar and extending approximately parallel thereto, said oar rest having a hole therein disposed beneath and parallel to said ridge, and said pin being oscillatable within the hole in said oar rest and said cusps being so constructed and arranged to engage and limit oscillation of the oar.

4. The combination with an oar having an offset hand grip located adjacent but spaced from the handle end of the oar, of an oarlock comprising a rocker block supported for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, an oar rest mounted on said rocker block for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the rocker block, a pin fixedly secured to the oar and extending substantially parallel thereto, said pin being oscillatable within a hole in said oar rest and stops upon the oar rest for engaging and limiting the amplitude of oscillation of the oar.

5. The combination with an oar, of an oar rest mounted for universal movement and adapted to be secured to the stern of a boat, and a pivotal connection between the oar and oar rest so constructed and arranged as to permit oscillation of the car about an axis parallel to itself.

6. The combination with an oar, of an oar rest mounted for universal movement and adapted to be secured to the stern of a boat, and a pin-andhole connection between the oar and car rest so constructed and arranged as to permit oscillation of the oar about an axis parallel to itself.

GARLAND McKELVEY. 

